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The japonica is just starting to flower in my garden and I picked a few sprays to put in a vase with the buds still closed.

In the warmth inside they opened into lovely tones of cream and peachy pink instead of the usual bright colour that punctuates the bareness of my patchwork hedge in winter.

The colours remind me of a hat that once belonged to my grandmother. I think the delicate layered feathers would have once been a more uniform tone but I like the subtle shading created by the passing of time.

That faded glamour also inspired me to create this dress for my Garden Fairy’s Wardrobe with the japonica flowers.

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For a couple of weeks before the winter solstice my garden seems devoid of flowers and then after it seems like each day something new appears in bloom.

It starts with a smattering of jonquils and then a patch of snow drops. I can begin to gather tiny bunches of violets and the hellebore buds start to open.

But it’s the bergenias and swamp iris that make a real statement with their pink and purple splashes of colour throughout the garden. They invoke an air of anticipation although there is a good two months to go until Spring.

When the sun’s out and the temperature agreeable it’s a great time to be in the garden which is just how I spent my Saturday with Mr Petal & Pins.